


He thought it would be him

by holomermaid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Fred Didn't Die, Fred Weasley Lives, Not Canon Compliant, Post-Canon, character deaths mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:34:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27101284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holomermaid/pseuds/holomermaid
Summary: A glimpse into the mind of a man that loved Hermione Granger if she had been his after the War and his feelings on her dating and falling for his brother.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fred Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 1
Kudos: 38





	He thought it would be him

**Author's Note:**

> This is unedited and written on a whim  
> *Warning: this fic does mention some canon character deaths, but not explicit*

He had always thought that it would be him in the end. They had known each other for years but it hadn’t been until the Yule Ball before he began to notice her and think of her as more. More than the perfect little bookworm. She had been stunning that night. Never before had he thought that about her. And she had looked happy, well until she had ended up crying that is.

Ron still felt like a git for doing that. 

But he didn’t make his move until years later. Dating Lavender had been a bit of a disaster, at first he’d liked her but then it just went down hill. He had always had his feelings for Hermione in the back of his mind. A part of him wished that they had kissed before they nearly died at the Battle of Hogwarts. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if they had. Perhaps if he had confessed his feelings for her earlier she wouldn’t be marrying someone else. 

Maybe they would’ve worked out, but then again maybe they wouldn’t. 

They hadn’t had a chance to talk about what that kiss meant, not straightaway. Voldemort was defeated. People had died. Friends and strangers that had fought by their side were gone. People that had fought for a better world, a better future, were gone and would never get the chance to see it. 

He had cried when he had learnt that Remus and Tonks had died. They all had. He was shocked when he learnt that Lavender had also died that day. It seemed impossible that someone his age was dead.

Fred had almost died. 

Almost. 

A wall had come crashing down on top of him as he fought beside Percy, an explosion that had nearly taken his older brother from him. It would’ve destroyed them all if Fred had died.

It would’ve broken Hermione’s heart, he found out later, if Fred had died. 

The two of them never talked about their kiss, both of them dodging the subject even though they had so many opportunities to talk about them. If they were going to be more than just friends. But they were never alone. Both of them were living in the Burrow and there always seemed to be at least one of his family members around. It wasn’t until the day that Fred was being released from the hospital that Ron was able to get her alone for long enough to talk.

It hadn’t gone how he had hoped. 

As he listened to Hermione tell him that she didn’t want a relationship with him, that it had been purely a spur of the moment decision, he felt his heart crack. What made it break was when she told him that she didn’t want to be with him because she had feelings for someone else. 

That someone else he would learn months, almost a year later, was his brother. Fred. 

Him nearly dying had made her realise just how much she cared for him, he overheard her telling Ginny one day. He hadn’t known at the time she was talking about Fred but he had still felt hurt. 

He had almost died, they had almost died, that day. It could have been him. It should have been him. He wished it was him that she had realised she loved. 

But it wasn’t and he had had to learn how to live with that. 

Ron had never been good at dealing with emotions. It wasn’t his strong suit but he had eventually come to terms that she wouldn’t love him back and that he would have to move on. 

At first it was difficult to see them together. Happy and in love. The sight had left a bitter taste in his mouth and a pit in his stomach. But as time went by it got less and less. He no longer had to pretend that he was happy for them and that it didn’t hurt. It had been years since seeing them together had hurt him. 

Yet…

Today it hurt. 

Because he had imagined himself marrying her. Dancing with her at their wedding. But it was Ron and Hermione’s wedding day. It was Fred and Hermione’s wedding day and they were happy. 

Five years. Five years since they had all fought together, that they had all almost died. That he had almost lost his best friend and older brother. That he had faced deatheaters for the last time. Had seen Voldemort die.

Five years had gone in a flash. 

Life had moved on, but some of his feelings still lingered. The world wasn’t the same. No one had left that war behind unscathed. But many were happy. 

Perhaps he was a little jealous to see the girl, his best friend, that he had loved for so long marry someone else. But he wasn’t going to ruin it. Even if people called him a grumpy git. 

Nah. Today was their day and he wasn’t going to ruin it. 

But he couldn’t help but wonder what life would’ve been like if he had gotten the girl. Would he have been happy? Would she? Would they have stayed together? He doesn’t know. But he does know that two people he loved were happy and in love. That would have to do. Even if he couldn’t have it himself. 

He had made his peace a long time ago but a small part of him still wished it was him.


End file.
